Graduation
by Kaira-chan
Summary: [Challenge fic for Scryedengel] It's been three months since Yugi and his friends graduated from Domino High. Now they're getting ready for College and University. Now they're getting ready to say goodbye.


Challenge fic for Scryedengel. Yay, I can't believe I made the deadline Fun fun.

Guess I might as well dedicate this fic to all of you who are graduating this year. Only two more years for me! Yay! Happy summer vacation to all of you who have it, and good luck in University for those who are going and/or are already attending.

Note: There's slight OtogiXYugi, but you can overlook it if you so desire.

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"I can't believe we finally graduated!"

"It's been three months, Yugi. Why are you announcing that now?"

"I still find it hard to believe that you graduated, Jonouchi."

"Shut up, Otogi!"

A laugh.

"I'm sorry I couldn't throw this sooner," Yugi sighed, leaning back in the grass. "I've been busy trying to get into some universities."

"Don't worry Yugi, I understand," Otogi playfully punched Jonouchi in the side of the head. "Of course _he_ doesn't, since he's not going to any college or anything."

"It's not like I can afford it," Jonouchi snapped, glaring venomously at Otogi. Otogi held up his hands is submission.

"When do you think the others will get here?" Yugi asked, looking out the window.

"Anzu said her dance practice thing would be until four, so she should be here soon. Honda may have been stuck babysitting again, and his sister got off of work five minutes ago, so he should be here soon, too," Jonouchi offered, looking out into the street as well.

"What about Bakura?" Yugi asked.

Jonouchi shrugged. "Who knows?"

"He'll come," Otogi offered, leaning back. "At least, I think he well."

"I don't know," Jonouchi said, shrugging. "You never really know with that guy. He doesn't say much..."

"And Kaiba?"

Jonouchi and Otogi stared at Yugi. "You invited _Kaiba_?" Jonouchi exclaimed. Yugi nodded.

"He won't be coming. That much is obvious," Otogi scoffed, as though inviting Kaiba was one of the most pointless things one could ever do.

Yugi shot Jonouchi and Otogi a look, before his face lit up. "Hey, Anzu!" he called through the open window. Anzu looked up at him (for he was in his room on the second floor), smiled and ran into the shop and was soon heard coming up the stairs.

"Hey, Yugi," she said, coming into his room and sitting down on his bed. "Sorry I'm late. Dance ran later than I had expected."

"It's okay," Yugi said, smiling. "I'm just glad that you're here."

"Hey! Here comes Honda!" Jonouchi exclaimed. "Hello Honda!" he called, waving. Honda smiled and then came into the shop and up the stairs.

"Sorry. I had to babysit Johji," he explained, stepping into the room.

Anzu twitched slightly at the name, and Jonouchi threw a triumphant grin at Otogi, who shrugged and looked away.

"I guess we can get the party started then, huh?" Otogi announced, grinning.

"What about Bakura and Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

"What about them? We don't even know if Bakura is going to show up, and the chances of Kaiba coming are slim to none."

Yugi sighed, and had to admit that they were right. He shrugged, and sighed. "All right, let's play some games."

Otogi sighed as though he were expecting this but was hoping it wouldn't happen, while the others smiled.

"What are we going to play, Yugi?" Anzu asked, standing beside her shorter friend.

"You guys stay here! I'll get it ready!" he called, running out of the room and down the stairs.

It was a few minutes later when he came back up the stairs, carrying a big bowl of water with some difficulty, and a bag of apples in his mouth. Jonouchi ran forward and took the bowl from him, and Yugi carried the apples in his hand.

Otogi looked at them and rose an eyebrow. "What are we going to do now?" he asked, eyeing the bowl of water and apples suspiciously.

Yugi opened the apples and emptied them into the bowl of water. "We're going bobbing for apples!" he said with a grin.

Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda and Otogi all stared at him, then the apples in the bowl, and then back at Yugi. It was Anzu who broke the silence by clapping her hands. "Ohmigod!" she exclaimed. "I haven't bobbed for apples since my seventh birthday," she said gleefully.

Yugi smiled, "I know."

"We're what now?" Otogi asked, looking at the four of them smiling.

"Bobbing for apples," Honda said. "You can't tell me you've never done it before."

"Yes I can, and I am," Otogi said flatly.

Yugi, Honda, Anzu and Jonouchi stared at him, before Jonouchi grinned cheekily.

"I'll go first then! I rock at this game," he said, before dunking his head in the bowl.

Otogi stared at him in horror as his head thrashed around, before he came with an apple clenched between his teeth.

Honda scoffed. "It's not a good thing you're great at this game. It just shows how big your mouth is."

Jonouchi glared at him, before dropping his apple into his hand and shaking the water out of his hair.

"Why would you do that?" Otogi asked. "You can just do this," and with those words, he plucked an apple out of the water with his fingers. "This way's easier, and it won't get my hair wet."

Anzu glared at him, before snatching the apple out of his hands and dropping it back in the water. "Don't be so –" she searched for the word, before finally settling on: "spoiled." She looked at the bowl, and then smiled at Yugi. "Okay, I'll go next."

She pulled her hair back with her hand, and hovered over the water, her nose skimming the surface, before she clamped her teeth delicately over the stem of the apple, and bringing it up triumphantly.

"My turn next," Honda said, before practically slamming his face into the water. In a few seconds he was up again, the apple just barely in his mouth, and his hair dripping.

Yugi looked at Otogi, before shrugging. "I guess it's my turn now," he said, before he put his face into the water, pushed an apple to the side, and clamped on to it from there.

"It's your turn, Otogi," Honda said, gesturing to the bowl.

"No! All your faces have been in it. That's disgusting," he claimed.

"That's one excuse." Jonouchi grinned widely, before taking a bite out of his apple. "I bet you're just afraid that you're not going to be able to get an apple."

"I am not," Otogi snapped, before crawling over to the side of the bowl. He pulled back the hair that wasn't already tied back, and tucked it into his headband, before hesitantly lowering his head into it.

He splashed, and tried in vain to pick up an apple, before finally having to give up because his chin was going numb from the cold water.

Jonouchi opened his mouth to begin mocking Otogi, who was glaring into the water, before Yugi elbowed him in the side.

"It's okay. You can try again. It is your first time playing, isn't it after all?"

Otogi sent him a look that made a chill run up his spine. "You could try again."

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. It's a stupid game. How you can even consider this a game is beyond me. I thought this was a graduation party, not a grade school one."

Yugi bowed his head in shame, Otogi's words sinking in.

"Hey! Just because you can't play the game doesn't mean it's a dumb game!" Jonouchi shouted, defending Yugi when it was obvious that Yugi wasn't going to do it for himself.

"And you!" Otogi said, rounding on Jonouchi. "You shouldn't even be here. The only reason why you graduated was because I took time out of my schedule to tutor you!"

Jonouchi tensed, hunching his shoulders a little and lowering his chin into his chest, seemingly shocked.

Otogi stood up and stormed out of Yugi's room.

Everyone sat, frozen, while Otogi made his way out of the room and down the stairs. It wasn't until they heard him at the bottom of the stairs when Yugi stood up and ran after him.

Honda, Jonouchi and Anzu continued to sit, not moving, each looking somewhat guilty.

"Otogi!" Yugi cried, running down the stairs. He stumbled on one near the bottom and began to fall, but Otogi turned around and caught him, both of the falling onto the ground.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said, blushing slightly before getting up and offering a hand out to help Otogi up. Otogi got up without the help.

"It's okay," he muttered, before turning away.

"No, I mean I'm sorry. You're right, it was a dumb game and..." Yugi said, cutting himself off and looking at the ground, not sure how to continue.

"Naw. It was Jonouchi who was right. I just got angry because I couldn't get one of the damned apples."

"But you were right! It was just a kid's game..." he stopped himself again, before sighing and looking away.

It was silent for a few moments, neither boy moving.

"You're going to university in America, aren't you?" Yugi asked finally. Otogi looked at him, and noticed that Yugi still wasn't looking at him.

"Yeah. Going there for some computer and gaming degrees and maybe some other stuff if I can find the time."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know," Otogi shrugged. "A few years, I think."

"You'll give me – us a call when you get there, right?" Yugi asked, looking at Otogi suddenly.

"Yeah, sure. Once I get settled in. I'll have to call Jonouchi though, huh? He's the only one who's not going to some school after this, isn't he?"

Yugi laughed a little. "Yeah, over thirteen years was too much for him. He's glad to finally get away."

"The lucky bastard," Otogi laughed. "The rest of us have to keep going."

"Well, Anzu's finally going to New York to study dance. I can't think of anything that would make her happier."

Otogi smiled before placing his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Keep in touch, will ya?" Yugi nodded. "Tell the other's I'm sorry, too. I'd stay longer, but I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't have everything packed up yet."

Otogi turned away from him, but stopped at the door when Yugi spoke again.

"Good luck in University, Otogi."

Otogi tensed up, his shoulders raising a little. "Yeah. You too," he said, his voice was quiet, and seemed higher than usual.

Yugi watched him leave the shop, but he wasn't the only one. Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda were watching from above, and not one of them missed the sad smile on Otogi's lips and the tears that were running down his face.

–Owari–

* * *

Constructive Criticism more than welcome, flames will be mocked. 


End file.
